Measure business impact with Dashboard and Analytics

Delivering automation successfully requires technical excellence, quality code and reliable execution. However, scaling this success requires translating those technical wins into measurable business impact that can be communicated to leadership or integrated into business strategy. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform offers two distinct capabilities that help practitioners and leaders turn operational metrics into a clear, auditable business case for expansion: Automation Dashboard and Automation Analytics.

Automation dashboard: on-site visibility

The automation dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of automation performance, enabling you to measure and demonstrate the value of your initiatives. Through the on-site dashboard, you get detailed insights into automation usage, work outcomes and associated financial impact. Key metrics such as job success rates, time savings and return on investment (ROI) support data-driven decision-making and help identify opportunities to effectively scale automation. With robust customization and reporting capabilities, you can filter, store, export, and share detailed analytics on project performance, user activity, and operational efficiency.

Reports can be exported as PDF files for a quick snapshot of the dashboard showing statistics such as cost and time savings, job success and failure rates, and total hours of automation. For deeper analysis, data can also be exported as CSV files and ingested into existing business intelligence (BI) tools to enable detailed reporting.

Because the dashboard is a self-contained, on-premises utility, all data remains secure within your environment. It can aggregate data from multiple Ansible Automation Platform instances and is directly accessible in the Ansible interface for system_admin and system_auditor accounts. This makes it ideal when data security is a priority, and when you want local, real-time visibility into your automation performance.

Automation Analytics: Cloud-Based Insights and Advanced Reporting

Automation analytics extends visibility beyond the on-premises environment, providing cloud-based insights Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console. By securely sending data from your Ansible instances to the cloud, analytics provide a broader, organization-wide view of automation performance, adoption, and ROI.

Accessible through your Red Hat Customer Portal account, Automation Analytics provides more granular reporting than the on-premise dashboard. It includes key features such as the savings planner, which estimates potential time and cost savings, and detailed job- and organization-level metrics that help identify trends and measure effectiveness over time. These analytics empower teams to monitor ROI, predict savings, and strategically plan automation investments, while making it easier to measure performance and share insights across the organization.

What’s next: Scale automation across the enterprise

With measurable ROI established through the automation dashboard and automation analytics, the next step is to extend automation beyond early adopters. Scaling automation requires making it accessible and secure for collaborative peers and other teams in your organization, while maintaining governance and consistency.

The self-service automation portal enables you to effortlessly extend automation across the entire enterprise. By offering a simplified point-and-click interface, the portal allows even inexperienced users to safely use pre-approved automation. This approach not only accelerates adoption, but also frees experienced practitioners to focus on higher-value innovation. Think about how you can turn these insights into action when you talk to your manager about scaling automation.

Gain data-driven insights

• Access real-time, actionable insights about automation performance and impact.
• Use these insights to guide IT operations and make evidence-based decisions that improve efficiency and outcomes.

For a real-life example, see how the State of Missouri Scales Automation to unlock time for innovation. You can also explore guidance such as 5 steps to define your automation strategywhich outlines how to strategically extend automation while maintaining control and visibility.

Translate operational success into personal impact

For technical automation users, the value of measurement lies in connecting operational outcomes with personal contributions and strategic alignment with business goals. With data from the automation dashboard and automation analytics, you can quantify the specific time savings, efficiency improvements and reliability gains resulting from your automation, build a clear case for expanding your reach and adopting additional use cases.

When talking to your manager, focus on how these results contribute to team and organizational goals. For example, you can say:

• “Our recent automation has reduced deployment time by 60%, freeing me up to focus on strategic projects.”
• “If we extend automation to additional workflows, we can double that impact and further reduce manual overhead.”

Determining your success in terms of measurable ROI and business alignment helps you build a strong case for expanding automation within your scope. This may mean suggesting new use cases, requesting additional resources, or showing readiness for greater responsibility.

Resources

• Explore how to track automation usage, measure ROI, and gain insights from your automation initiatives
• See the dashboard and analysis tools in action
• Practical tips for leadership buy-in for automation initiatives
• try interactive, hands-on exercises to explore new features and workflows